Ford strengthens e-mobility partnership with Volkswagen with use of MEB platform

MANILA: Ford Motor Company and the Volkswagen Group are strengthening their e-mobility relationship. Ford will be manufacturing another electric vehicle based on the MEB platform for the European market. Over a six-year period, the carmaker will also double its anticipated MEB volume to 1.2 million units. The agreement is part of Volkswagen and Ford's strategic partnership, which includes e-mobility, commercial vehicles, and autonomous driving. The MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) is an open vehicle platform that allows automakers to electrify their portfolio rapidly and affordably.

In a statement, Volkswagen Group Board of Management for Technology Member and Volkswagen Group Components Chief Executive Officer Thomas Schmall said, “Profitability and speed are now crucial for finally achieving the breakthrough of e-mobility in Europe. We are tackling both together with Ford. Today’s agreement will further accelerate the electrification of the two companies. This is also proof of the strengths of the MEB, which provides a unique package of high-tech, competitive costs and speed in implementing projects. The electric platform is thus the ideal solution for companies looking to speed up their electrification.”

An all-electric crossover will be the first Ford model to utilize the MEB. It will start rolling off the assembly line at the Ford Electrification Center in Cologne, Germany in 2023, giving the company's e-mobility strategy a boost. Ford had initially planned just one MEB-based vehicle with a total production volume of around 600,000 units. The second planned model has not yet been revealed by the company.

“Our strategic alliance with Volkswagen is an important element of Ford’s commitment to offer an all-electric range of vehicles that are uniquely Ford and designed to meet the mobility needs of a modern Europe that is leading the fight against climate change,” Ford Europe Chairperson Stuart Rowley stated.

Strengthening Volkswagen's relationship with Ford will get the company closer to being a platform supplier for electric vehicles as a separate pillar from its main business. The MEB platform, which can be utilized by different brands and manufacturers, is already the technological foundation for 10 electric models from five different companies. It was used to construct around 300,000 units in 2021, making it one of the most popular electric platforms in the world.

The MEB provides a high degree of competitiveness while allowing for significant design and model development freedom. It covers a wide array of vehicle classes and types, from compact cars to SUVs and vans. The Volkswagen ID.Buzz, which had its world debut last week, is the latest model based on the MEB. Because of global economies of scale, the MEB has a substantially lower cost base than other electric vehicles. It is primarily produced in Volkswagen Group Components' German facilities in Braunschweig, Kassel, and Salzgitter.

Volkswagen shares the MEB and other Group platforms with partners to establish a global breakthrough in e-mobility. These collaborations are managed by the newly formed business unit "Platform Business." Volkswagen's future SSP platform will be shared with partners, and its use by multiple brands and manufacturers has been included into the development process from the start.

Image from Volkswagen Group

Also read: All-electric Volkswagen ID.Buzz models make world premiere